Clay County AlArchives News.....History of Barfield by John R. McCain May 1931
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Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 November 13, 2022, 8:03 pm

Lineville Headlight May 1931
May 14, 1931, Lineville Headlight:
So journing for the time being in the Barfield community and having spent many 
years of our boyhood days in this community, many scenes are reviewed, and 
memories aroused. In conversation with Mr. George T. Moore, one of the oldest 
and best posted men in the history of the community, having lived about here 
over sixty years, we have recalled the names of many of the early settlers and 
much of the history of the community since the close of the War between the 
states often called the Civil War. Prior to said war this community was sparcely 
settled. Mr. Young Allen Moon, father of Mr. Robert H. Moon, Lineville, Alabama, 
made the first settlement where the village of Barfield now stands. In 1861 Mr. 
Moon moved from north Chambers County and settled near where the residence of 
Mr. E. L. Cole now stands. All that part of the county was prior to that 
settlement Jr. virgin forest. Mr. Moon and his younger sons, the older ones 
having gone to the army, felled the forest trees, built the home and cleared the 
forest for cultivation. Mr. Samuel Black then lived up to the north of Barfield 
where Henry McKay now lives. Black owned the lands which now are embraced in 
several of the adjoining farm. To the south, down the present highway, was the 
home of the older Greenberry Jenkins, one of the hardest working farmers this 
country ever had. Being a new and largely unsettled country, there were not many 
slave holders in the territory. To the west a few miles William Pitt and John T. 
Bell had moved from Georgia with their slaves and settled on farms. In the 
absence of any correct dates, we cannot give dates. Besides Blacks Campground to 
the north several miles there was no church in this immediate territory until 
the Missionary Baptist established sometime prior to the War between the states 
the old Alder Springs Church to the west of Barfield, near the present farm of 
Mrs. T. J. Wilson. This old Alder Springs Church was established before the 
slaves were freed. The writer recalls the log seats placed in the rear of the 
old Alder Springs Church for the slaves to worship with their masters. In 
subsequent years, and before the first old Alder Springs Church was torn down 
the writer attended school taught in that old church taught by the younger 
Greenberry Jenkins. Later the old log church was torn down and a plank church 
built higher up on the hill from the original location. We have no written 
record of those who have served that old church, or just in the order they came, 
but one of the first, if not THE first was Rev. Hiram Hickey, who traveled 
extensively over a large territory and preached during those pioneer days. 
Succeeding Rev. Hickey were such preachers and pastors as Revs. Thomas Collier, 
H. C. Knight, W. A. Scott, E. M. Moore, James Jordan, Jesse G. Robinson and 
others. Mr. George T. Moore tells us that it was about 1884 when a movement was 
started to move the old Alder Springs church to the present site of Mt. Pleasant 
Church at Barfield. Mr. Moore tells us that they had between fifty and sixty 
members of the church when it was moved and that he is now the only surviving 
charter member of the present Mt. Pleasant church which, he tells me, now has a 
membership of over three hundred. Besides the names of Moon, Black, Jenkins and 
the two Bells, the old settlers were Harrison Taylor, Solomon Barfield, John and 
Waller Owens, Jefferson Nichols, Benjamin and Charles Luker, a Mr. Cannon, a Mr. 
Baker, Thompson and Lofton Reeves, Whit Hardy, Dr. Frost, Charles Eubanks, and a 
little later Owen Taylor, John Spraberry, Chesley Driggers, Mack McCollum, Mr. 
Moore, father of George T. Moore, Hick Foster, Wash Robertson, Wiley Reeves, 
Isaac Young, -ack Jordan, Frank Pearce, Woodard -lair, Matt and Alex Driggers, 
John Hudson. C. A. Vaughn, W. C. Owens, John W. Stephens, Jas. R. and T. D. 
Nichols, Rev. W. H. Preston, J. H. Walter, Winston and Coston Barfield. J. N. 
Gregg, Thomas and Billy Wilson, Spain Hill, Anderson Cole, Jeff Hardnett, Hiram 
Johnson, Y. J. A. Bartlett, Dr. John Black, Dr. G. W. Bartlett and later E. L. 
Cole, now doing business at Barfield. Possibly Washington Robertson was about 
the first man to conduct any business at Barfield. Following Robertson came J. 
D. Jeter, Barfield Brothers, T. B. Griffin and E. L. Cole. At present E. L. Cole 
and Lawrence Chapman conduct business at Barfield. We have not the date before 
us just when the present school at Barfield was established. We recall the names 
of a good many who have taught at the present location, John S. Burkhead, Miss 
Ella Bartlett, Rev A. J. Preston, Stell Blake, the writer and Walter S. Smith 
taught the school during the session of 1904-1906. Many have taught there before 
then and subsequently. Rev. W. R. Ingram is principal of the Junior High School 
at Barfield now. Before the school was located at its present site, small 
schools were conducted by different ones in a small house near where Mr. Carl 
Reeves now lives. The community has kept-up a good church spirit and very active 
school interest through the years. The whole community is thickly settled now, 
and the attendance is large. Being a consolidated school, quite a number of 
pupils are transported to the school in trucks now. Later we hope to be able to 
give some more facts and incidents of historical interest to the community and 
its citizenship. Nearly all who knew anything of the first settlement of 'the 
community are dead, and the younger people know but little of the history of 
their community. The same is true of many other communities.

May 21, 1931 Lineville Headlight:
In our last week's article, we mention a number of the old settlers, out oy no 
means all of them. Propinquity among the early settlers was Jesse Burkhead, 
several the Clarks, "Johsey" Dial, John Nixon and many others. Hoyt DeFriece, 
who later became famous as an international lawyer and scholar, spent many of 
his boyhood days in the Blacks Campground community, it was from there he went 
to Oxford and entered school. Mr. Robert H. Moon, about the same age as Hoyd 
DeFriece, has told the writer of being a school mate with Hoyt DeFriece in their 
boyhood. Mr. Moon, previous to that time, when quite a small boy, had attended a 
school near Roanoke, Alabama, conducted by Prof. John A. Moore, the stepfather 
of Hoyt DeFriece. Back in the early days, especially for after the War between 
the States, one Leonard Danner, a Dutchman, taught a number of schools at 
different points in this community. With Leonard Danner as a pioneer teacher oi 
the old field school, was associated in the work by Misses Mollie Owens and 
Margerete Cockrell, who later became Mrs. Clark, wife of Jasper Clark, yet 
living, though Mrs. Clark has been dead many years. While the Baptist church 
remained at old Alder Springs the writer recalls but three teachers who taught 
in the old church building. They were Rev. Greenberry Jenkins, Miss Lucy Bell, 
now Mrs. W. H. Parker, and F. M. Pitts. There may have been others who taught in 
that old church building. It was in that old church building the writer attended 
his first Sunday school, having as his first Sunday school teachers William Pitt 
and James A. Bell. Soon after the War between the Sates the Rev. T. R. Parker 
lived for a number of years on the place now owned by Mr. L. J. Trammell, near 
the William Pitt Bell place. T. R. Parker was not only a minister, but also a 
teacher of ability. He taught at old Liberty Hill Methodist Church, which stood 
near the Compton place in the western part of Fox Creek Beat. Later on Aaron 
Bell settled the place now owned and occupied by Mrs. W. H. Preston. Back in 
those early dates this community had two citizens who were recognized as 
champion hog callers, Uncle John Spraberry and Lofton Reeves. All stock in those 
days ran at large, to roam where they would, but none oi their hogs ever roamed 
out of the range of the voice of Uncle John Spraberry and Uncle Loften Reeves. 
Lofton Reeves was the father of Uncle Wiley Reeves who was a prominent citizen 
of this community for many years. We have already referred to the working 
ability and habits of Uncle Greenberry Jenkins, the older Jenkins. Those farmers 
who have grown up. In later years know nothing about splitting rails and 
building fences against the reaming stock. Uncle Greenberry Jenkins was known 
for his high fences. The cow or mule that could jump his fences had to be 
specially trained1 for the business. Back in those days the forests had a good 
deal of game. While deer and wild turkeys were rapidly thriving before the 
writer came upon the stage of activity, I can well remember hearing wolves howl 
in the woods at night, and one afternoon, while driving the cows home for the 
night, three black wolves ran out into the field where I was. No need to say 
that I put my machine into high gear immediately, letting the cows get home the 
best they could. With Tug and Boy (Thomas) Bell, it was in this beat that we had 
the old wash hole, and many were the whippings this chap got for going into that 
wash hole on Sunday. That was my besetting sin. I could not resist the 
temptation. The writer can remember something of the latter part of Claude 
Bowers "Traggib Era" the Reconstruction period in the South that time we spent 
in this community. Notwithstanding in the many privations and hardships through 
which the people had to go, yet in many respects they seemed better contended 
and more happy than now. This fast, nerve wrecking age had not then dawned upon 
us. Our wants were much easier satisfied, and we were content not to travel such 
a rapid pace. Each church did well to have one sermon per month. We had then, as 
now, the all-day singings, with dinner on the ground; but the automobile had not 
made its advent then and people did not come to a singing from the four corners 
of the globe. To feed a country singing now. the housewives must be busy some 
days in advance and the grocery bills often run above the bank account. Some 
people undertake to say that there is as much whiskey drunk now as then. The 
only way that could be at all true would be attributable to the fact that there 
are so many more people now than then; and even to make that allowance, one does 
not see anything like as many drunks at public gatherings now as then. Then 
whiskey could and often was openly made upon any branch, with only an occasional 
U. S. revenue officer to flush the covy. But that contention is about as rule as 
any other the wets make. Barfield community has long been a reasonably quiet, 
orderly, law-abiding one, a large majority of whose citizens believe in and 
practice sobriety and good morals. So far as the writer has observed or heard 
the citizens of this community are at peace, one with another, as much so as any 
place we know and far better than many places. They maintain the old-time 
country hospitality as much as any people we know. When sickness and sorrow 
enter the homes of any of the people, the neighbors are soon there, with their 
helping hands and sympathetic feelings. They are not forced, as many are in 
places, when one gets sick to go hire a trained nurse to administer to the sick 
one, unless such is made necessary by a serious operation where a skilled nurse 
is required, but the neighbors help do the nursing; and right here I want to say 
that this practice among people keep up a better and stronger feeling among 
neighbors than almost anything that could be done. Just to the extent a country 
community, or even a village, tries to take up city habits and city ways, just 
to that extent aid community loses much hat is best for it. When you weaken or 
ill neighborly feelings and cooperation in such things, then and here you 
estrange the people and he result soon is a divided people and a dead community. 
Let the dries have their ways and their habits, and for God's sake let the 
country have its own ways. This does not mean to suggest that we should not 
learn all the arts and sciences of improvements along all lines, but the things 
to which I have referred have nothing to do with any advancements.

May 28, 1931, Lineville Headlight:
We regret that we do not know more of the early settlers of the eastern part of 
this community. A far back as we can remember the McCollums, Hodnetts, Hiram 
Johnson, Jordans, Grabens, Knights lived in that community. We will always 
remember the sad experience Dock Knight had while yet a young man. He and a 
brother were camping in the Kennedy Mill up East of Delta when the mill house 
caught on fire and burned the brother of Dock Knight to death. Dock saved 
himself as we have always understood, by jumping out through a window. That 
occurred in the latter seventies. We have wanted no confer with Uncle Joe East 
and Z. R. East, who live in that community now, about its history, but have not 
had an opportunity to do so. As stated in the beginning of the series, in the 
absence of any records whatever, and only through the it, formation given me by 
such aged citizens as Mr. George T. Moore, we have been forced to rely upon 
memory largely and if we make any mistakes, we will be glad to correct them. The 
most we hope to accomplish is to arouse enough interest for someone or ones, to 
become sufficiently interested to gather the data and prepare an accurate 
history of the community. Already all the first settlers are dead and gone, and 
most of the next older ones have passed away. Mr. George T. Moore, who, let us 
say has been a good, true, loyal and useful citizen a long time, is the best 
posted man on the history of the community we have found. We pass along through 
life and hardly realize the worth of such a good man until he is gone. 
Frequently the classes in history of the schools become interested in getting up 
the history of their school and their community. If I have been approached by 
students one time, I am safe in saying I have been approached fifty times during 
recent years for the history of my little hometown of Lineville and its schools. 
I have written that history many times. I sent it by request to the historian at 
the University of Alabama last year and I presume it was printed, at least in 
part, in book form. As many of the readers of The Headlight will recall, a few 
years ago I wrote and published the history of a number of our older families 
about Lineville. As stated above I have Hoped that my efforts would encourage 
others to go deeper into the subject. Except through the medium of their classes 
in school, young people, as a rule, do not take much interest, even in family 
history but the time is sure to come when each one will wish he or she had 
learned more about their own people while their parents yet lived to tell them. 
By or before one reach fifty years the mind turns to such things more and more. 
Before the A. B. & A. R. R. was built to Lineville, which drew most of the 
country business to town, Barfield did quite a flourishing business. Barfield 
Brothers conducted quite an extensive supply of business there for a number of 
years. Mr. E. L. Cole has a good business there now, and Mr. Lawrence Chapman 
has recently started business there. Mr. E. L. Cole has made about the most 
marked success in business of any man we knew. We can recall when Mr. Cole 
started quite a small peddling business, but by close application, industry and 
frugality, he is now not only a successful businessman, but is one of our 
largest landowners and planters. Besides Mr. Cole there are a number of other 
rather large landowners in this community, that is, as measured by Clay County 
standard, Walter and Y.C. Barfield, Jesse Hill, Charley McKay, James Latham and 
others. W. L. Bell, in the western part of the beat, is one of the most 
successful and best fixed farms not only in Clay County, but anywhere else. W. 
L. Bell comes nearer of having same of everything grown on a farm of any man we 
know. Doubtless he has fodder and hay now several years old, and plenty of it. 
He also has the cotton he has made for a number of years. Tug Bell is absolutely 
unique, but one of the best citizens and best friends a man could have. He made
a success of everything he undertook. He has been the writer loyal friend since 
the days of the old wash hole to which we have referred in another place. If all 
men worked and managed as W. L. Bell does, we would not have any depression 
about which to mourn. He has proven that a man can not only make a living on a 
farm but make some money. He is public spirited. His is the only 100. Red Cross 
family I know. Just at this juncture Mr. George T Moore came in and told me that 
he and Mr. George Garrett, clerk of Mt. Pleasant Church had found the old Alder 
Springs church deed and that it was executed in 1840. several years earlier than 
I thought; but readers will recall that I stated the beginning I would not name 
dates in the absence of any records. Later I hope to be able to give a list of 
the charter members of old Alder Springs church which, will of course, be of 
much interest to all the people of the community, especially members of the Mt. 
Pleasant church, the offspring of Alder Springs church. This community he long 
taken a good interest in church and schoolwork. In Fox Creek Beat there are Mt. 
Pleasant, Black's Chapel, Providence, Shady Grove, McCollums and Mt. Olive 
Churches. Before the consolidation of schools there were a number of small 
schools in the heat. Besides the schools taught at old Alder Springs, schools 
were taught at old Liberty Hill, The Danner School House, near Pleasant Hill 
Church, another church we should have named above, The Jeter School House, rear 
Mr. Carl Reeves's place, Shady Grove, Bell View, Mt. Olive, Center Hill. 
McCollums and sometimes at old Pleasant Grove then the main school, Mt. 
Pleasant, which in recent years has been both a consolidated school and Junior 
High school.  As we have said before, this community seems to be at peace one 
with another. One does not hear of any cisms and isms dividing the people, but 
on the other hand there seems to be a splendid spirit of cooperation among, the 
people, it is not definite just how long I may stay in this community, but not 
long at the most; but if any old citizen, or young one, has any special 
information which should be recorded in this series and will supply me with such 
information. I would be glad to record anything of interest in the series. While 
trying to build up my health, I like to have my mind as well employed as I well 
can. This is, of course, purely a labor of love, and done with the hope that it 
may prove to be an incentive to others to gather and record more of what has 
been done in this community and who did it. I will be glad to record the names 
of charter members of old Alder Springs church, and just here let me express the 
hope that someone can furnish, me with the names of the charter members of 
Blacks Chapel. That was long known as Black's Campground. The writer's father 
has preached at that church before the War Between the States. But as to that 
matter, there is scarcely an old church in all this country no matter of what 
denomination, or which he did not preach at some time. He would preach in any 
church that would leave its door open wide enough for him to enter. In a recent 
conversation with Rev R. S. Reaves, pastor at Blacks Chapel also Oak Grove and 
other places I was very much pleased with the report he made on the Christian 
spirit in some places, especially at Oak Grove. The writer recalls writing a 
deed to church property there for the late Rev. R. A. Speer when the church was 
organized. Our hope is to make these article? of some interest and some value to 
the people most concerned and we will appreciate your cooperation. We hope you 
will let the Lineville Headlight and read these articles. If I make any 
mistakes, or leave off anything I should mention, be assured that it is not done 
intentionally- More anon. 

June 04, 1931, Lineville Headlight:
I stated my last week article that I hoped to be able to give the name of the 
charter members of old Alder Springs Church, the organization from which Mt. 
Pleasant Church sprang. Through the courtesy of Mr. George Garrett, clerk of the 
church new, have access to the old record, and I copy below all the record I 
find a copy it just as it appears in the book. In transcribing the writer used 
the words Mt. Pleasant Church when he meant, of course, Alder Springs, for Mt. 
Pleasant Church wan not organized until about 1884-86 and this record was made 
in 1840. The Constitution of the Baptist Church of Christ at Mt. Pleasant (Then 
Alder Springs.) On Saturday before the first Lord's Day in Nov. 1840 in 
accordance with a call received by the scattered members of the neighborhood of 
Mathew Doolies, A Presbytery consisting of Elders Jefferson Faulkner, Harden G. 
Taliaferro to constitute themselves into a church. After examining the letters 
handed in, they were found orderly. The following are the names who had letters: 
Dreadwell E. Pace, Faletta Pace, Willis Lyles, Jane Garrett, Mary Garrett, 
Elizabeth Garrett, Newton Garrett, Louisa Garrett and Emily Laverette were then 
instituted into a regular united Baptist Church on the following covenant and 
abstract of principles of faith. Then the covenant into which they entered 
follows: This was the beginning of old Alder Springs Church which, as has been 
stated, was succeeded by the present Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. To most of the 
present generation these names are unknown. The writ er can recall hearing many 
of them called when he was a lad. Of course, most of the names have come down 
the line and are familiar in the community yet. It is a matter of interest to 
all the present membership of the church to know who they were who founded the 
church and when it was founded. According to the above document that church was 
founded several years earlier than we had thought. Mr. George T. Moore has told 
us that they had between fifty and sixty members when the church was moved from 
Alder Springs to Mt. Pleasant in 1884 and 86, the church having increased until 
it has a membership of over 300 now. We are making some efforts to locate, if 
possible, the records which will show when the old Blacks Campground Church was 
organized. Such things are of vital concern in many ways or may be. There was 
once a small M. E. Church located up near Mr. Charley McKay's, but we presume 
that was later absorbed by Pleasant Hill M.E. Church. The writer recalls two 
historical incidents about Uncle Chesley Driggers. It was he who had the first 
commercial fertilizer I ever saw. An incident characteristic of the witty, 
cheerful spirit of uncle Chesley. Back in those days Reconstruction days but few 
of the country housewives had cooking stoves. They cooked in pots, ovens, 
skillets etc. on the fireplace. In those days a cooking stove agent came around 
to sell Uncle Chesley a cooking stove. Among other arguments used in making the 
sale, the agent told Uncle Chelsey that if he would buy the stove his wife would 
live ten years longer. "Aunt Peggy was father frail and Uncle Chesley bought the 
stove and was to pay for it with the installment plan. The next fall when the 
agent came around for the installment, Uncle Chesley promptly proposed a 50-50 
compromise. The agent asked why. Uncle Chesley promptly replied: "you said if I 
would buy the stove my wife would live ten years longer, and that may prove 
true, but I am already convinced that I will die ten years sooner by having to 
cut stove wood. About the year 1869 the father of the writer bought the farm now 
owned by Mr. T. R. Bell and occupied this year by Mr. Neely Gregg. When we moved 
there. Mr. Thomas Clark, son-in-law of Uncle Chesley Driggers, lived in the 
house and remained there ten days or two weeks before he moved. The writer was 
just five years old then, but I recall very well what Mr. Clark said about 
having to move so much along then. He said he had moved so often that when his 
chickens heard a wagon coming, they would lie down and cross their legs to be 
tied. In the matter of rearing children Mr. Tom Clark ran Uncle John N. Gregg a 
rather close race. We don't know just the number of children Mr. Clark reared, 
but he had a multitude of boys. Uncle John Gregg reared fourteen children in 
all. This fact was brought to the writer's attention at a family reunion of that 
large family held at the old homestead a few years ago. Uncle Governor Hall, 
another old citizen of this beat, reared even a great er number of children in 
all than did Uncle John Gregg. Men like these almost challenge Sand Mountain, in 
rearing children. The writer has traversed all parts of Sand Mountain from the 
Miss, line to Trinton Georgia, many, many times, and children around the average 
Sand Mountain, home are about as numerous as chickens around a hatchery. In the 
Blacks Chapel part of this community the several Owens families. Uncle Anderson 
Cole and Uncle Spain Hill were prominent leaders, especially in church matters. 
During his long and useful life Uncle Spain Hill, his wife and family were 
active and faithful members of that church. John and Waller Owens and their 
families were long prominent citizens in that neighborhood. W. C. Owens son of 
John Owens was one of the most successful farmers in the beat. He was also 
active in civic and educational affairs, he reared and educated a rather large 
family of children. His bro. John Owens died rather early, while his boys yet 
young. Most all of that family have gone to different sections of the country. 
Many of that once large family connection are buried in the graveyard at old 
Blacks Campground: If we are able to get record evidence of when and by whom the 
church there was established. we will be glad to give it all in detail. We 
sincerely hone that, others who may have more time and can get more definite 
Information will gather it together and record it all.




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